Why is ther not a frequency band allocated to people like me that wish to get their Licence but have never been a ham operator but they need to have at least 1 hour on the HAM bands to learn (this should be compulsory at the end of each band).

Saying LISTEN O)N THIS AND THAT RADIO IS NOT ENOUGH to learn you need experienced operators to tell you where you have gone wrong just like I had in the mid 1900;s on the CB Freeband.

Hams talk about new blood well those NEW BLOOD should be able to at least try out all the bands they can work as a Foundation member before they even think about taking the exam.

There is a way. Www.internationalradionetwork.co.uk have a teamspeak app that you can use. It gives you access to several talk groups that are live ham channels running through d-star, echolink, allstar and a few others, plus other channels that are are made for users that are not yet licensed. Once registered (and it's all free), you can transmit on certain groups (obvioulsy the ones with actualy crosslinks into to live ham feeds are RX only until you have passed and got your licence). It uses the Teamspeak 3 application that will work on iOs, Android, PC, Macs and even Linux (You have to pay for it on Apple and Android tho), so you can play radio on the go.

There are lots of hams around that will help you with any questions you might have, and it's good practice. If you just want to listen, there are several nodes connected to it that you can use with hams from all over the World talking.

The system (known as the IRN server), is free to use for both hams and non-hams, but non hams need to join up to "The Guild" first (so they get some rules and regs given to them, and a temporary call sign). Joining the Guild is free too... Thelinks can be found on the website above.

Thanks all will let you know how I get on and In 6 weeks I will be sharing my new call, I say 6 weeks but that's how long the whole training is so say what 12 weeks, don't know how long it takes to get the call but I seem to remember reading about 6 weeks after passing.

It does seem to me that there's this weird notion nowadays that everything in this world should be easy to achieve, with no effort and minimum cost - else it's somehow unfair, or against human rights?

As for having a band where you can experiment with radio for the main purpose of getting better at it - that's what ham radio is all about. You can learn how to operate by listening - the simplest thing in the world. Listen to other people doing it right, and getting it wrong. You don't need to speak.

paulears wrote:...It does seem to me that there's this weird notion nowadays that everything in this world should be easy to achieve, with no effort and minimum cost - else it's somehow unfair, or against human rights?

The Americans seem to treat the latest digital scanner offerings from Whistler and Uniden as 'Plug n Play', boy do they moan if they have to edit an incorrect frequency or a misspelled alpha tag..

Yep - that's exactly what I mean. It's easy to look back and gloat, but I remember spending years building up a Mil airband spreadsheet, with the stud numbers, and even wangling places on those tours they used to do with totally non-technical people, just so I could sneak a real photo of the cheat sheet taped to the radio in the cockpit - and then how shocked I was when one day - everything changed overnight. Now people are even too lazy/too mean to get one of the excellent CDs that forums have available. Queen said it - I want it now, and I want it all! I looked at the code plug I downloaded for my 380, and that took a huge time to compile in somebodies spare time.

I remember we had a topic started by somebody who had bought a radio and was truly shocked it was supplied empty! Not one frequency in it at all!

As to the test - One thing is certain, (like GCSE, A Levels, BTECs, HNDs, Degrees and even Masters Degrees) They have all gotten easier over the years. If Anyone wants proof, in my loft is my Physics O Level text book. It is four times the size, and has much smaller text, and far fewer pictures - plus it doesn't have pages that are supposed to 'test', but do it by making the answers obvious. The current version schools use for their GCSE is pathetic in content and depth.

All exams are getting easier, so more people have a qualification they don't really deserve. However, every single person who passes an exam, then moans about the next ones being easier.

OT, I know, but I spent 15 years working for BTEC, writing loads of the units over the years, and I gave up when after putting in the last full stop in a Level 2 (GCSE level) specification, the Government asked us to re-write it to make sure that people who were going to fail, could get at least a Level 1! The criteria had to be re-written to allow "I was present when X was carried out" to give them the pass - we wouldn't like failures, would we.

Are there any figures on pass rates for the radio exam? Does anyone ever fail? I have my suspicions they don't.